Improvement in clamps for picture-frames



G. BANKS a E. L. seein.

Clamps for Picture-Frames. y `N0,l49,425. PatentedApruLmM.

UNITED STATE-s i1??.rrn1ivfr Grrrcn.

GEORGE BANKS AND ELl L. SEGER, OF YONKERS, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLAMPS FOR PICTURE-FRAMES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,425, datid Aprll 7,1874; application tiled February 26, 1874.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE BANKs and ELIv L. SEGER, of Yonkers, in thecounty ofy rangement of a series of shoesl connected by rods or barswith atixed center, toward which they are drawn simultaneously by meansof a screw and lever, the shoes being arranged to clamp the corners ofthe frame, and being capable of adjustment to frames ot' differentsizes, and the apparatus being either provided with a bed-plate orapplicable to anl ordinary carpenters bench.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a plan or top view of ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line ot'Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in the line y y of Fig. 1.Fig. el. is atop view, showing a modification in the form of the shoe.Fig. 5 is a sectional view ot' the same.

The shoes A are formed with shoulders c at right angles to each otherand perpendicular to the plane of their travel, said shoulders being forthe reception ot' the corners of the frame to be clamped. They may beclosed at their points of junction, as shown in Fig. 1, to receive thecorners oi' a frame which is formed with miter joints and fastened withglue alone, or they may be open at the portions corresponding with suchpoints, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, to allow the protrusion of thecorners ofthe frame when they are formed V with other than miter joints,or when they are to be fastened with nails or pins. On the nnder side ofeach shoe are blocks or bars I), which serve las bearings for the shoe,and also to brace and strengthen it, and are slotted to receive andallow free play to a rod or bar, (l, which passes under the shoe, and inwhich are a series of perforations for the reception of a pivot, d,passing through the shoe A near the inner corner, whereby said shoe maybe adjusted nearer to or farther from the center, as

desired. The apparatusis provided with four of these shoes, one at eachcorner, connected by the rods G with a center blocl; consisting of twoparts, E F. The part E is formed with a tongue, c, which slides in acorresponding groove or recess in the part F, which is stationary, sofar as longitudinal or lateral motion is concerned, but is pivoted so asto allow it to oscillate in a horizontal plane. It may be so arrangedthat its pivot c may engage with a hole in an ordinary work-bench; or,if desired, it may be pivoted to abcd-plate, H, which bed-plate may beplaced upon the bench when the apparatus is in use. On the upper sideofthe stationary part F of the center block is a standard, I, throughwhich runs horizontally a screw-rod, K, on one end of which is a ratchetor toothed head, l. The threaded portion ot' the screw-rod K engageswith a corresponding thread in a plate or nut, M, attached to themovable part E of the center block, so that said movable part is drawntoward or caused to recede from the station ary part F, according as thescrew-rod is turned in one direction or another. To facilitate theturning ot' the screw-rod we employ alever, l), to which is pivoted apawl, s, which is reversible, to engage with the toothed head Zin eitherdirection with equal facility. The frame is laid with its joints in theshoes A, as shown in the drawing, and is clamped between said shoes bymoving the lever l so as to turn the screwrod K in the proper directionto draw the 1novable part E toward the fixed part F, and thus draw allot' the shoes simultaneously toward the center' block, clamping themtightly and securing a perfect angle. The shoes may be adjusted toframes. of different sizes by means ot' thc pivots d and theirengagement with the perforations in the rods or bars C; and the shoesbeing pivoted to said rods they are free to adapt themselves to framesof different relative widths or lengths, the strain being' uniform uponall of them. l hen the frames are formed with miter. joints and fastenedwith glue alone, the shoes shown in Fig. l are used. When the frames areformed with niortiseand-tenen joints, or any other than niiter joints,or are to be fastened with nails, pins,

or Wedges, the shoes shown in Figs. 4 and 5 l l l the center block, theWhole constructed and are used, sov yasv to allow the corners toprooperating substantially as shown and described. trude in orderlto'manipulatethein. 2. The Combination of the lever and reversi- Toprovide for the effective clamping of ble pawl, the screw-rod K, the nutM, and the frameshavingmoldings ontheirouter surfaces, two parts E F ofthe center block, as shown the shoes may be fitted with removable piecesand described, for the purpose specified. adapted vto it the various'forms of moldings. r

GEORGE BANKS. What We clann as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is- 7 ELI L' SEGER' l. The combination of the contracting andWitnesses:

expanding;` center block E F, the shoes A, and ALBERT KUHN,

the rods or bars O, connecting the shoes with ARNETT O. LAWRENCE.

